salted, or otherwise enhanced. Even though more food was the last thing I needed, I gave them a try.
We were complimenting our hosts on their splendid layout when we were distracted by the sound of pounding hoofs.
'That beast is being ridden hard,' Silva commented.
'Someone with an urgent message,' I said with a sense of dread, knowing that this sojourn in southern Campania had been entirely too pleasant. Knowing that this message had to be for me and that it wouldn't be good, I hoped that it wasn't word from Rome that civil war had broken out.
But when the man came into the courtyard I recognized him as one of the messengers belonging to Hortalus's villa.
'Oh, I hope there hasn't been a fire,' Julia said.
'Praetor,' the messenger said, 'you must come at once to the Villa Hortensia. There has been a murder.'
This set up a babble all over the courtyard. Murder was a common thing in Rome, but in these easy environs it was a great rarity.
'Murder? Who?' I demanded.
'Gorgo, daughter of Diocles the priest.'
At this there was uproar and shouts of outrage. The murder of a slave would have caused comment. That of any freed or freeborn person would have been cause for excitement. The murder of the beautiful young daughter of a prominent man was sure to cause a sensation. I sensed that things could get quickly out of hand, so I took immediate action.
'I must return to the villa at once,' I said. 'This thing has occurred at my residence. Norbanus, Silva, as
'Certainly,' said Norbanus. 'Litters will be too slow. Everyone take horses from my stable.' He began to bark orders to his stable master.
'Excellent,' I said. 'All here who are magistrates come with us.'
Silva turned to the messenger. 'How did this happen?'
I held up a hand. 'Let's have no secondhand information. It just leads to rumor and confusion. We will go view the body and question any witnesses there may be. Until we have done so and prepared a report for the municipal authorities, I abjure all here to refrain from idle speculation and from spreading tales that at this moment must be baseless.'
'Very wise, Praetor,' Norbanus said. 'I, for one, fully support your actions.'
'That poor gii'l!' Julia said. 'What could have happened?'
'I don't know yet,' I told her. 'But I intend to find out.'
As was my usual practice in such situations, I was watching those present. Everywhere I saw shock, outrage, at least a thrilled titillation. No help there. Gaeto's swarthy face had gone ashen. The slaver came to me and spoke in a low, urgent voice.
'Praetor, I wish to come with you.'
'Gaeto, you are not a magistrate. You are not even a citizen.'
'Nonetheless, I would esteem it a great favor if you would allow me to accompany you. I would be in your debt. In this district, that is not a small thing.'
I was pretty sure what he was thinking, and I could not help but sympathize. 'Very well, but do keep to the side and do not interrupt while we transact official business.'
He bowed. 'I am most grateful.'
There were some odd looks when he rode out with us, but nobody said anything. The night was fine, but the cloud still rose from Vesuvius, and now its underside was stained a lurid orange. If this was not a true eruption, I hoped never to see one.
It was nearing dawn by the time we returned to the villa. Julia and the other women were following by litter. I had sent Hermes and some of the younger men of my party ahead on the fastest horses, to secure the murder scene and separate witnesses. These were precautionary measures I had devised in my career of investigating crimes. Much can be learned at a crime site, as long as it remains in the condition it enjoyed while the crime was being committed. I had little hope of this being the case when I arrived on the scene, but it was worth a try.
How futile had been my wish became clear as we entered the villa grounds. We rode straight to the precincts of Apollo's temple, and there I found a great crowd gathered. Most were slaves and freedmen of the villa, many of them bearing torches. The cluster was densest a little to one side of the temple, by the olive grove.
We dismounted outside the grove and I called for the steward. The man appeared, looking harried and drawn. 'Praetor Metellus! This is a terrible thing! Nothing like this has ever-'
'Annius,' I said, 'I want you to clear this rabble out of here and back to their quarters. They are not helping and they could be doing a great deal of harm. Is there anything resembling a witness around here?'
'Sir, I have found nobody who-'
'Then get these people away from here.'
'At once, Praetor!' He clapped his hands, waved his staff, and began to herd everyone back up to the main house. Everyone, that is, except the temple staff. I saw the girls who had been assisting Gorgo the day we arrived, along with some men who had the look of sweepers and haulers, groundsmen and such. I approached the girls, who were weeping copiously.
'What has happened here?' I demanded.
'Sir,' began one, 'the god must be angry with us! We were awakened by-'
'What is your name, child?'
She snuffled loudly. 'Leto, sir.' She was a honey-haired beauty, locally born from the sound of her voice, a bit older than the other two.
'Then calm yourself, Leto. I am not angry with you and I doubt Apollo is, either. Are you slave or free?'
Either my voice or my assurances seemed to calm her. 'I am a slave, sir. We all are. Slaves of the temple.' She indicated the other two girls. 'These are Charmian and Gaia.' The girls bowed. Charmian had a look more bold than demure. She had dark hair and classically Greek features. Gaia, despite her name, was clearly a German, strong and big boned.
'Praetor,' said Charmian, 'you and Apollo may not be displeased with us, but the master is sure to be. We are-were-his daughter's attendants, and she was murdered while we slept. He may flog us or sell us or put us to death.'
'Then I will speak to the priest. He will do nothing to you, so long as you tell me exactly what happened. Withold nothing and add nothing to your account, do you understand?'
They nodded. 'Yes, sir.'
'Then tell me what you know.' By this time the
'We were awakened-' Leto began.
'No, start with when you last saw your mistress alive.'
She took a deep breath. 'We had just finished the sundown service. We put away the sacred implements and extinguished the fire. Our mistress told us to go to bed, that she was going to the spring to bathe and would join us later.'
'Did she usually bathe in the evenings?' I asked her.
She frowned, thinking. 'Not often but sometimes. Especially when the weather has been hot.'
'Where was Diocles, the priest?'
'Yesterday he went to Cumae for a yearly ceremony at the sibyl's enclosure. We did not expect him until tomorrow or the day after. He has been sent for.'
'So you went to bed. What then?'
'A scream awakened us. It was horrible! At first, I didn't even think it was a human sound. It woke the whole household. It was then we realized that the mistress wasn't there. We searched the house and temple, and the groundsmen searched the fields and orchards. Astyanax found her.'
'Which of you is Astyanax?' I demanded.
A young man in a dark tunic came forward. 'I am, sir. I tend the olive grove. That is where I searched.' He
